National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013-2015 - Action Plan
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Action Plan National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015
Action Plan National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015
This action plan has been drawn up by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NOC), the Football Association of Norway, Norsk Tipping AS (the Norwegian National Lot- tery), the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, and the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation. All parties have contributed equally to the plan. The party responsible for implementation is specified under each measure.
Match-fixing must be prevented in order to safeguard the in-
tegrity of sport, maintain safety and confidence in the betting
market, and combat international organised crime.
Our goal is therefore: Match-fixing has no place in Norwegian sport.
Effective prevention requires efforts from the
To prevent, detect and respond to match-fixing sporting community, betting companies, the bet-
in sport. ting authorities and other public authorities. Since
experience has shown that match-fixing occurs in
To achieve the goal, we will: both individual and team sports, this action plan is
targeted at sport as a whole.
−− Improve knowledge about match-fixing
Implementing the action plan will require cross-sec-
−− Give priority to raising awareness and promoting toral action, and exchange of information between
the right attitudes to match-fixing in sport the parties will be essential. The Action Plan
against Match-fixing in Sport is therefore the result
−− Monitor and regulate the betting market of cooperation between the Norwegian Olympic
and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of
−− Strengthen the rules of the sports sector against Sports (NOC), the Football Association of Norway,
match-fixing the Norwegian National Lottery, the Norwegian
Gaming and Foundation Authority, the Ministry
−− Intensify Norwegian participation in international of Justice and Public Security, and the Ministry of
cooperation against match-fixing Culture.
Hadia Tajik Grete Faremo
Minister of Culture Minister of Justice and Public Security
Atle Hamar Torbjørn Almlid
Nor wegian Gaming and Foundation Authority Nor wegian National Lotter y
Børre Rognlien Yngve Hallén
Nor wegian Olympic and Paralympic Football Association of Nor way
Committee and Confederation of Sports
3
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Definition of match-fixing in the action plan
The term “match-fixing” is used in different This type of match-fixing can be roughly divided
ways in different contexts. In its broadest sense into three categories:
it covers all forms of manipulation of a sports
competition. Match-fixing: traditional manipulation of the out-
come (a team or individual athlete is paid to lose).
Used in the broadest sense, match-fixing includes
manipulation of results based purely on sports- Spot-fixing: manipulation of a particular event dur-
related considerations. For example, a team or an ing a competition (for example the first corner in
individual athlete chooses to lose a match in order football) that does not necessarily influence the
to compete against a weaker rival in the following outcome.
round. In order to preserve the integrity of sport,
the sporting community needs to discuss such is- Point-shaving: manipulation of the final result but
sues in detail. However, this type of sports results not of the outcome (the players may be paid to en-
manipulation is outside the scope of the present sure that the team does not beat the opposing team
action plan. by more than for example 10 goals).
Manipulation of competitions for financial gain The definition used in this action plan covers all
is a growing problem in international sport. The three categories:
aim is usually to earn money by influencing a par-
ticular outcome and then placing a wager on it Match-fixing is defined as manipulation of a sport-
with a betting company. In some cases teams or ing competition where the actors involved (athletes,
individual athletes have paid a rival to manipulate trainers, managers, referees, etc.) seek to manipulate
a competition in order to achieve the desired out- the outcome of the competition or a single aspect of
come. the competition for financial gain for themselves or
others.
4
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Match-fixing as an international problem
Match-fixing is not a new problem in international Online betting has also resulted in a dramatic in-
sport, but there has been a rapid increase in fre- crease in the number of betting objects. For every
quency in the last few years. Attempts have been football match, for example, there are an infinite
made to put a figure on the scale of this practice number of objects to bet on (first goal-scorer, num-
at the international level, but it is often difficult to ber of free kicks, number of yellow cards, etc.).
know whether or not a particular game has been Live betting also allows the client to bet on an ob-
fixed. There is little information available in such ject during a match.
cases, and where information does exist, it is of-
ten based on rumour and is difficult to prove. It is Betting is a well-known method of money launder-
therefore not possible to draw any definite conclu- ing, and the development of the betting market has
sions about the extent of match-fixing. made match-fixing more attractive to international
organised crime. Furthermore, the sports sector
However, legal proceedings in a number of Europe- is generally more independent, less regulated and
an countries have shown evidence that match-fix- less closely monitored than other social sectors,
ing in sport is a significant problem. Most of the and this also attracts criminal groups.
cases have concerned football, and several Euro-
pean leagues have been involved. One of the best The link between sport, betting and international
known cases of match-fixing in Europe is the Bo- organised crime shows that prevention of match-fix-
chum match-fixing scandal of 2008, which included ing requires cross-border cooperation between the
351 suspects from 25 countries in 323 incidents. sporting community, betting operators and the
public authorities.
Although most of the known incidents of match-fix-
ing involve football, cases have been registered in
several other team and individual sports, such as
tennis, handball, cricket and ice hockey.
There is general agreement that the link between
sport and betting has increased the probability
of match-fixing. Online betting in particular has
revolutionised the betting market in recent years.
Before this, betting on sport was regulated at the
national level, but today online betting companies
operate across national borders. The market has
become more difficult to regulate and problems of-
ten arise when investigating suspected cases where
several different countries are involved.
5
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015The importance of combating match-fixing Safeguarding the integrity of sport Combating international organised crime The importance of sport for a society lies largely in The investigation of major match-fixing cases in the positive values on which it is based. Match-fix- Europe has shown that these activities are often ing threatens these basic values and may harm the backed by criminal networks, which are attracted integrity and reputation of sport. by the link between sport and betting. The attraction of sporting events for the public may Thus the efforts to prevent match-fixing should be also be weakened if people begin to believe that viewed in relation to the general efforts to combat the competition outcome has been decided before- international organised crime. hand. Maintaining a safe, trustworthy betting market Match-fixing also threatens the betting market. The Norwegian National Lottery fulfils an impor- tant duty to society by promoting a betting system that is safe and trustworthy. The company is thus completely dependent on public confidence in its products. If there is any doubt whether the betting is clean, the public’s confidence will be weakened and the company’s reputation will suffer. 6 National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015
National statutory provisions that can be
applied to match-fixing
Certain national legislative provisions are an effec-
Use of force and threats
tive means of combating match-fixing. The follow-
The Penal Code also covers match-fixing if force
ing provisions of the Penal Code apply.
or threat is used (sections 222 and 227 of the
1902 Penal Code and sections 251, 252, 263 and
Fraud 264 of the 2005 Penal Code).
According to section 270 of the Penal Code of
1902 and section 371 of the Penal Code of 2005,
All penalties under the above provisions also apply
any person who, in order to obtain an unlawful
to aiding and abetting match-fixing. In certain cases,
gain by causing, confirming, or exploiting a mis-
match-fixing may also be covered by the provisions
take, unlawfully induces any person to commit
relating to gross fraud (section 271 of the 1902
an act that causes loss or a risk of loss to him
Penal Code and section 372 of the 2005 Penal Code)
or any person for whom he is acting is guilty of
and gross corruption (section 27b of the 1902 Penal
fraud.
Code and section 388 of the 2005 Penal Code).
The above provisions of the Penal Code adequately
Corruption cover, or will cover when the Penal Code of 2005
Under section 276a of the 1902 Penal Code and has entered into force, the forms of match-fixing
section 387 of the 2005 Penal Code, any person dealt with in the present action plan.
who for himself or other persons requests or re-
ceives an improper advantage or accepts an offer
thereof in connection with a position, office or
assignment, or gives or offers any person an im-
proper advantage in connection with a position,
office or assignment, is liable to a penalty for cor-
ruption.
According to section 276 c of the 1902 Penal
Code and section 389 of the 2005 Penal Code, if
the improper advantage is requested, received,
offered or given in return for influencing the
conduct of any position, office or assignment, it
may be considered as punishable trading in in-
fluence.
Breach of trust
Match-fixing by a person in a managerial or su-
pervisory capacity is covered by section 1902 of
the 1902 Penal Code and section 390 of the 2005
Penal Code relating to breach of trust. The pro-
vision applies to any person who, for the purpo-
se of obtaining for himself or another person an
unlawful gain or inflicting damage, neglects ano-
ther person’s affairs which he manages or super-
vises or acts against the other person’s interests.
7
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Intensifying the fight against match-fixing
in Norway
Effective action against match-fixing requires con-
Measures
certed efforts by the sporting community, betting
companies, the betting authorities and the public - The Norwegian Gaming Authority will publish a
authorities in general. The work requires cross-sec- knowledge base on match-fixing on its website
toral coordination, and exchange of information be- containing up-to-date information and links to
tween the parties is essential. organisations that work against match-fixing.
- The Norwegian Gaming Authority will establish
Although the police are aware that betting in gen- a cooperation forum under its leadership for
eral is a well-known method of money laundering, sports associations, the Norwegian National
their knowledge about the extent of match-fixing Lottery, the police and other public authorities
in Norway is limited. However, the ongoing inves- for the exchange of information and expertise.
tigation of match-fixing in Norwegian second-divi-
sion football has increased police knowledge of this - The NOC will conduct a survey, in cooperation
form of crime and made them more clearly aware with the relevant national sports federations,
of its existence. among players and trainers in selected sports to
find out how much they know about the rules
Improving existing knowledge about match-fixing governing their sport and whether they know of
and/or have experience of cases of match-fixing.
The first step in preventing match-fixing is to - The Ministry of Culture will take the initiative in
recognise the scale and gravity of the problem. 2013 to arrange an international cross-discipli-
This requires information. Until recently little nary seminar on match-fixing to which sports
was known about match-fixing in Nor way, and associations, the betting sector and various pub-
the sporting community, the betting sector and lic authorities, including the justice and police
the public authorities need to improve their authorities, will be invited.
knowledge of this type of crime.
Knowledge about match-fixing is steadily grow-
ing in response to the rapid increase in the
problem in international sport. Information also
needs to be regularly updated so that appropri-
ate measures can be devised.
It is equally important to ensure that acquired
knowledge reaches the key actors. Information
must be shared across sectors and down to the
local level. It is especially important that ath-
letes, trainers, managers and referees are aware
of and informed about match-fixing. The police
and the prosecuting authorities will seek to ob-
tain more knowledge in this field.
8
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Promoting the right attitudes to match-fixing
in sport
Ever y person involved in Nor wegian sport must
Measures
be clearly aware of the integrity of sport, and
this awareness should be an integral part of the - The NOC will develop, in cooperation with indi-
normal practice of sport down to the local level. vidual national sports federations, an education
Preventive and opinion-shaping measures tar- and training programme on match-fixing for
geted at athletes, trainers, managers and refer- athletes, trainers, managers and referees, based
ees are crucial in this work. on an e-learning programme.
- The NOC will draw up ethical guidelines for use
In many cases the perpetrators of match-fixing in combating match-fixing.
are betting syndicates and organised criminal
groups. However, all match-fixing requires col- - The NOC and national sports federations will
laboration by elements of the sporting commu- include match-fixing issues in the training of
nity itself. This means that athletes, trainers, trainers, managers and support staff.
club managers and referees are those most like- - The NOC will disseminate information to athletes,
ly to be approached by criminal groups or indi- trainers, managers and referees concerning the
viduals. A clearer awareness, more knowledge rules that apply to betting and match-fixing.
and an honest attitude among all those involved
in sport are essential to enable them to resist - The NOC will establish procedures for what
attempts at match-fixing. athletes approached about match-fixing should
do and for how this intelligence should be
International efforts to combat match-fixing handled.
stress the importance of a prevention strategy.
For example, Interpol has cooperated with FIFA
on developing a training, education and preven-
tion programme for football. One of the goals
of the programme is to educate and train key
actors in football on how to recognise, resist
and report attempts to corrupt or fix matches.
SportAccord, an umbrella organisation for inter-
national sports federations, has also developed
an e-learning programme on match-fixing. Both
these programmes could ser ve as models for an
education and training programme adapted to
Nor wegian conditions.
9
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Monitoring and regulation of betting
Effective prevention of match-fixing requires a good ment-based supervision means that the Authority is
monitoring system and mechanisms for regulating able to make a valuable contribution to the efforts
betting. It also requires close cooperation between to prevent match-fixing by closely following up the
the sporting community, the Norwegian National Norwegian National Lottery’s procedures and control
Lottery and the Norwegian Gaming Authority in its measures.
capacity as supervising authority.
Monitoring by the sporting community of betting
The Norwegian National Lottery’s role as betting activities related to Norwegian football matches
operator
UEFA cooperates with the company Sportradar on
The main motive for match-fixing is financial, and the monitoring the betting on European football matches.
profit comes mainly from clients betting on odds. As a Sportradar monitors the two highest divisions and the
betting operator, the Norwegian National Lottery has national cup in all European countries. This means
an important role in preventing match-fixing. that through its association with UEFA, the Football
Association of Norway is able to monitor matches in
Market monitoring is one of the most important tools Norwegian Premier Division, Norwegian First Divi-
used by the Norwegian National Lottery to combat sion and the Norwegian Football Championship.
match-fixing. By monitoring the betting, it can adjust
the odds or close the betting in order to minimise the Measures
profits of any match-fixing.
- The Norwegian National Lottery will introduce a
The Norwegian National Lottery can also regulate betting system that limits the size of the pot and
betting objects. The new IT infrastructure for sports of the maximum bet at different levels of odds.
betting gives the company a better tool for regulating The permitted size of the pot will vary for different
the maximum size of the bet according to the type of sports and different leagues.
sport, type of league, type of betting object and type - The Norwegian National Lottery will establish a
of outcome. The aim is to control the size of the pot maximum size for pots, a warning system and a
and assess the risk of irregularities occurring for each monitoring system for the sales of each commis-
betting object. The higher the risk of irregularities, sioner. The restrictions will be the same for all com-
the smaller the pot. missioners, but they may change from day to day
and may differ between sports, leagues, etc. The
The third tool at the Norwegian National Lottery’s Norwegian National Lottery may also put a ceiling
disposal is the company’s internal control procedures, on the pot of each commissioner for a particular
which include following up the commissioner level. betting combination.
The Norwegian National Lottery is currently con- - The Norwegian National Lottery will establish a max-
ducting a procurement process in connection with the imum size for pots, a warning system and a moni-
identification cards for individual bettors. The aim is toring system for sales and net payments for each
to achieve a closer link between betting and the indi- betting outcome of a betting object. The company
vidual bettor’s identification card to reduce the mis- will also establish a maximum size for pots, a warn-
use of these cards. ing system and a monitoring system for sales and
net payments for each betting combination, and
The supervisory role of the Norwegian Gaming this may differ between sports, leagues, etc.
Authority
- The Football Association of Norway will extend the
current match monitoring system to cover matches
Under section 14 of the Act relating to money betting, at a lower level as well.
the Norwegian Gaming Authority is responsible for
seeing that the activities of the Norwegian National - The Norwegian Gaming Authority will monitor
Lottery are in accordance with legislation and rules. the risk management systems established by the
The Authority plans its activity according to a risk Norwegian National Lottery in connection with
and materiality assessment based on the information match-fixing and irregularities committed by com-
on betting activities available at any one time from missioners.
the Norwegian National Lottery. This risk manage- - The Norwegian Gaming Authority will, in cooper-
ation with the betting sector and sports associa-
10 tions, establish procedures for the rapid sharing of
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015 information on match-fixing between the relevant
parties for the purpose of preventing, detecting
and responding to match-fixing.Strengthening the rules and legislation
governing sport
Match-fixing is not compatible with the integrity Section 11-4 c covers cases where a person or an or-
of sport. It is crucial that the rules and legislation ganisational unit in the sport itself participates in an
applying to sport should cover the activities defined improper manner in money betting on a competition
as match-fixing, and that they should also have a pre- with which they are associated. It does not apply to
ventive effect. persons outside the sport who bet on the competition.
The provisions of the Act relating to the Norwegian The NOC Act contains no specific sanctions against
Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confeder- match-fixing, but there are a number of general penal-
ation of Sports (the NOC Act) are binding at every ties that apply in such cases. Section 11-4 sets out the
level of the organisation. The Act has two provisions actions that are subject to a penalty.
that apply to illegal betting and are intended to lessen
the risk of match-fixing. Under section 11-2 of the NOC Act, national sports
federations may establish competition rules that
Section 2-5 (4) of the NOC Act carry sanctions according to a system decided by the
A person may not hold an honorary position in in the association itself. The Football Association of Norway
same sport in more than one team that is participa- has taken advantage of this to introduce rules aimed
ting in the same competition. at preventing match-fixing.
Section 1-5 of the match rules of the Football Asso-
The provision is intended to ensure that the competi- ciation of Norway
tion is fair and that the result is unpredictable. Fair Play
Section 11-4 c of the NOC Act 1) The players, managers, trainers, support staff
Any person or organisational unit who participates and employees of a club shall comply with the
in an improper manner in betting on a competiti- principles of loyalty, integrity and fair play in
on and who is associated with the competition as connection with matches played by their own and
a athlete, refereee, trainer, manager, support staff other clubs.
member or other position is liable to a penalty. 2) None of the actors mentioned in (1) may, directly
or indirectly, take part in a wager on the outcome
The provision was included in the NOC Act by a of a match in which he himself is participating,
decision of the Executive Board on 21 June 2005. The contribute or attempt to contribute to bribery in
reason was that match-fixing was suspected in several any way, or attempt to influence the outcome of a
sports. match through unsporting behaviour.
Section 11-4 of the NOC Act states that:
A person or organisational unit who Measures
b) commits unlawful violence or behaves in a dis- - In 2013 the NOC will review its rules and consider
honest or improper manner, including specific amendments to combat match-
fixing. Any amendments made will apply to all
d) commits financial irregularities, pays, is paid,
sports affiliated with the NOC.
receives or agrees to receive remuneration that is
in conflict with the rules that apply to sport, - The Football Association of Norway recognises the
need to amend section 1-5 (2) of its match rules to
e) gives incorrect or misleading information,
include betting objects other that the outcome of
i) in any other manner behaves in such a way as to a match.
clearly harm sporting activities or the reputation
- The Football Association of Norway will consider
of sport, is liable to a penalty.
introducing a general obligation for parties in-
volved in football to report attempts to prevail on
them to contribute to match-fixing.
11
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Active participation in international coope-
ration against match-fixing
Match-fixing is an international problem. Online
Measures
betting companies operate across national borders,
and over 120 international betting companies regu- - Norwegian sports associations will take an active
larly offer betting on Norwegian football matches. part in the cooperation against match-fixing within
The market has become difficult to regulate, and in- the framework of their respective international
vestigating suspected cases raises problems when federations.
several different countries are involved. - The Norwegian National Lottery will take an active
part in the cooperation against match-fixing in the
Developments in the betting market are making international forums in which it participates.
match-fixing increasingly attractive to international
organised criminal groups such as the Asian bet- - The Norwegian Gaming Authority will take an
ting syndicates operating in the European market. active part in the cooperation against match-fixing
in the international forums in which it participates.
These factors mean that cooperation across bor- - The Norwegian authorities will take an active
ders is essential if match-fixing in sport is to be part in the work of the Council of Europe on a
effectively prevented. This includes cooperation possible international convention on match-
in the sporting community, and within the various fixing.
groups of betting companies, supervisory authori-
ties and public authorities. The Norwegian police - The Norwegian police and prosecuting
and prosecuting authorities will participate in the authorities will take part in the cooperation
cooperation against match-fixing within the frame- against match-fixing within the framework of
work of their international organisations. their respective international organisations.
In the last few years many international sports or-
ganisations have stepped up their efforts to prevent
match-fixing. The IOC, SportAccord, FIFA and
UEFA, for example, have implemented more effec-
tive measures for combating the problem.
The authorities in various countries are also be-
coming aware of the need for cooperation. The En-
larged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) under
the Council of Europe has launched negotiations
on a possible international convention on match-fix-
ing. The Nordic supervisory authorities in the field
of money betting have decided to establish a work-
ing group on match-fixing under the leadership of
the Norwegian Gaming Authority.
In the justice sector, Interpol has cooperated with
the police in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thai-
land on coordinating a number of successful op-
erations against illegal Asian betting networks in
the last few years. Interpol has also, in cooperation
with FIFA, established an Integrity in Sport unit for
developing and implementing training for actors in-
volved in sport to combat match-fixing.
12
National Action Plan against Match-fixing in Sport 2013–2015Published by:
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the Ministry of Culture,
the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of
Sports, the Football Association of Norway, the Norwegian National Lottery
and the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority.
Public institutions may order additional copies from:
Norwegian Government Administration Services
E-mail: publikasjonsbestilling@dss.dep.no
Internet: www.publikasjoner.dep.no
Telephone: + 47 22 24 20 00
Publication number: V-0957 E
Print: Norwegian Government Administration Services 02/13 - 200
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